Advent 4
Jn
1:19-28
12/21/14
A couple of weeks ago a minute and a
half segment of video appeared on the internet that caused a huge volume of
discussion, debate and speculation. The
video was a very brief trailer for the movie Star Wars Episode 7 – The Force
Awakens.
Now to say that this movie is an
event is a huge understatement. The
three original Star Wars movies are iconic pieces of science fiction that were
also huge commercial successes. George
Lucas had spoken about a prequel trilogy of movies and in 1999 Star Wars
Episode I: The Phantom Menace appeared, followed by two more movies in 2002 and
2005. These movies were all huge commercial successes as Lucas filled in the
story that set the stage for the original 1977 Star Wars – which now became
Episode 4. However, the movies had a
mixed reception. While visually
stunning, in the opinion of many the acting and dialogue left a bit to be
desired.
George Lucas himself had indicated
that in his mind, the Star Wars story was finished with the six movies. However in 2012 Walt Disney bought Lucas’ movie company, Lucasfilm. They soon announced that a sequel trilogy of
movies would be produced – movies that would carry the story on after the last
movie, Return of the Jedi. George Lucas would not be involved in this project –
something that, ironically, many Stars Wars fans think is a good thing.
While Lucas was gone, real
excitement was generated by the fact that Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie
Fisher are returning to reprise their roles as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and
Princess Leia. Reports about the
beginning of movie production under director J.J. Abrams have filled the
internet.
And then, Walt Disney released the
first trailer for the new movie – really nothing more than a tease. However the opening scene of this minute and
a half video generated a question that everyone was asking: “Who is this
guy?!?” The trailer opens with a black
man wearing an Imperial Storm Trooper uniform in a desert setting. There is no explanation. There is no context
for understanding who this character is. And so people have been wondering who
he is – the general consensus being that this is one of the main characters in
the new trilogy of movies.
“Who is this guy?!?” It’s the same question that the Jewish
leadership in Jerusalem was asking about John the Baptist when he appeared in
the Judean wildness along the Jordan River and began administering his baptism
of repentance. In our text this morning
the Pharisees send priest and Levites to John in order to find out who he
is. They come with a series of questions
about John – none of which are the right question. Instead, John the Baptist bears witness that
the answer to his identity is not to be found in him, but instead in the One
who comes after him.
This morning our text is found in
the Gospel of John. And John’s Gospel is
just … different. The Gospels of Matthew,
Mark and Luke share many similarities, and so they are usually grouped
together. John, on the other hand,
stands alone. It is usually assumed that
John was the last of the Gospels written.
One of the reasons is the manner in which he seems to assume his reader
already has a knowledge about Jesus and the story of his life. So, for example,
John chapter 1 only really makes sense if you know about the descent of the
Spirit upon Jesus at his baptism – and yet John’s Gospel doesn’t provide an
account of Jesus’ baptism. John assumes
that you already know the basic details of what happened.
All that John tells us about John
the Baptist and his ministry before our text is this statement earlier in
chapter one: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a
witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.”
From the other Gospels we know that
John showed up in the Judean wilderness along the Jordan River. He dressed like the prophet Elijah and
preached a message of repentance because God’s reign was about to arrive. He administered a baptism by which people
demonstrated that they were repentant and needed God’s forgiveness.
First century A.D. Palestine was a
place where end time expectation was simmering just under the surface for many
people. They were looking for God to do
something dramatic on behalf of Israel, just as the prophets in the Old Testament
described. Many people were looking for
a kind of “second exodus” – a great rescue of God’s people from Roman rule just
like he had done for them when they were enslaved in Egypt.
The wilderness had been the place of
God’s saving action in the past. And so
the first century Jewish historian Josephus tells us about several occasions
when figures showed up in the wilderness and acted in prophetic ways. On those occasions, crowds flocked out to that
individual. Things were no different
with John the Baptist.
Crowds going out to the wilderness
to hear a prophetic figure was more than a little unsettling for those in
Jerusalem. After all, who knows what it
could prompt or provoke? And so priests
and Levites were sent to learn more about John.
Just before our text this Gospel
says that John came to bear witness about the light. In our text we hear this witness. The Jewish religious representatives asked,
“Who are you?” The Gospel of John tells
us, “He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’” John had not come to be the center of
attention. He didn’t claim to be
something he was not.
So next the Jewish religious figures
ran through the list of individuals that various Jews expected to be sent from
God as part of the end times. They asked
if he was Elijah, or the Prophet mentioned in our Old Testament lesson
today. When he said no, their
frustration began to show through. They said, “Who are you? We need to give an
answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied with the words of Isaiah chapter
forty that we heard last week: “I am the voice of one crying out in the
wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
John the Baptist confessed – he bore
witness - that it was all about Jesus.
John confessed that he was all about Jesus. When pressed about why he
baptized, John responded, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you
do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not
worthy to untie.” John pointed to the
One who was greater than he. He did not
hesitate to say so on this day. And he
did not hesitate to say so on the next day.
Just after our text we learn that
the next day “he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of
God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me
comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not
know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be
revealed to Israel.”
John pointed to Jesus
as the Lamb of God – as the sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world.
On this Sunday just a couple of days
before Christmas Eve, it’s not hard to apply John’s words to our setting. John the Baptist’s witness was to Jesus. He didn’t let anything – not even his own reputation
or ego – get in the way of this. Yet far
too often Christmas itself has become something that is bigger than Jesus. The Christmas season and all of its trappings
points to itself, rather than to the Christ.
Yet the Christmas season just puts
in bold relief what you do all the time.
Your words and actions show that you consider yourself to be more
important in your life than Jesus. You
speak about yourself – what is going on in your life and your plans for the
future – before you will ever speak about Jesus Christ to others. You
spend time on the things that interest and amuse you, long before you will
spend time on Jesus, his Word and the ministry of his Church. You spend money
on yourself for all those wants you have, long before you will consider
returning a real offering to the Lord.
John the Baptist is a model for us
in our Christian life. He put Jesus
first in his life and witness. He
conducted himself in this way because he knew Jesus to be the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world. He knew
something else as well. At the same time
that John identified Jesus as the Lamb of God, he bore witness saying: “I saw
the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself
did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on
whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the
Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of
God.”
Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who
entered into the world at Christmas as the Word became flesh and dwelt among
us. He came to be lifted up on the cross
for our sins and then to rise again on the third day. He has baptized his Church with the Spirit
and now continues to give his Spirit through the waters of Holy Baptism, for it
is there that you were born again of water and the Spirit.
Because our Lord has done this for
you, like John the Baptist you now confess and bear witness to Christ. You do this in word and in deed. You do it in word as you tell others about
who Jesus Christ is and what he is for you – your Lord and Savior who died on
the cross for your sins and rose from the dead.
You do it in deed as you share Christ’s love by serving and helping
others in your home, at work and at school.
During these days leading up to
Christmas you have focused great time and energy on giving gifts. You have searched stores and the internet for
the perfect gift and that great deal. Consider
the effort you have put into this. And
then consider the fact that it is this effort and more that we need to put into
sharing the most important gift: Jesus Christ. We are preparing to celebrate
God’s gift of a Savior at Christmas.
This is the gift that we need to share with others in word and deed
during every day of the year.
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